Möbius Mini

Actually, I was aiming for a Möbius shoulder wrap for myself, but Cathy at Twist Yarns accidentally gave me the instructions for the children's version. When we realized her error, I went back to the store for a second skein of Malabrigo merino lace, which she gave me gratis. She felt badly about the amount of time I spent, working moss stitch in lace weight.

• yarn: 8 grams Malabrigo merino lace
  
• color: Vaa
• needle*: 47" size 9 Addi turbos, switched to 32" Knitpicks 9/7 when it was wide enough to fit comfortably
  
• pattern: Moebius cast on 100 double-ended stitches plus the initial slip knot, moss stitch (201 sts/round of knit 1, purl 1) until it is wide enough. This one is ~10" wide.
• pattern for women: Moebius cast on 160 sts + slip knot, moss stitch (321 sts/round) until you run out of yarn. Try a size 8 needle to start and adjust for a pleasing stretchiness. Wrap will measure ~37" along the middle spine, and be ~14" wide.
• Use a stretchy bind off**
  

My sister posted an excellent pictorial how-to for the Möbius cast on (MCO). She also gave me A Treasury of Magical Knitting by Cat Bordhi. Even then, it is difficult to attain the exact number of desired stitches. I ended up with 158*2+1 stitches.

Note that each MCO creates a double ended stitch. You will knit first one side, then the other. If you look at a Möbius strip, your MCO will be at the center spine. Then you will knit outwards along both sides of the spine.

** I bind off with a crochet hook, rather than move the stitches back and forth between the R and L needle. I am lazy that way. The three needle bind off using a crochet hook instead of a third needle taught me that the bind off is equivalent to a crochet slip stitch.

1. knit two stitches, keeping in pattern and leave stitches on hook
2. yarn over, pull through both loops,
3. knit or purl one stitch
4. yarn over, pull through both loops...

Cathy originally told me to (MCO) 80 stitches and moss stitch with a size 8 needle. My swatch told me that would be awfully small, so I MCO 100 stitches and went up to a size 9 needle. Even then, it better fits Iris than myself. I am using MCO 159 stitches and a size 7 needle for mine. I usually go one needle size down because I knit loosely in Continental style. (I learned to knit while living in Germany, long story.)

See my sister's Möbius basket. Unbelievably cool!